Caribbean food security a noble ambition

THE EDITOR: The recent Caricom heads meeting in Guyana and decisions reported show a sense of resolve – one may add "at last" – as we noted calls for a CSME as a priority and the quest to reduce the food import bill by 25 per cent in 2025.

The latter is urgent, important and most of all, attainable.

The available landmass in the region, Guyana and Suriname leading, can be developed towards achieving this noble objective. How prepared we are for such an aim will be determined by existing and developed human resource and attitudes to agriculture in the short term.

Guyana's President Mohammed Irfaan Ali is quoted as saying the region must produce the food we can grow here. The reduction in food imports, as proposed, calls for a more than 25 per cent increase in our production. He deserves highest commendation for this remark and also for showing signs of promoting his intent.

Accordingly, only an aggressive and purposeful programme throughout the region will suffice. This calls for food instead of flowers at homes, schools programmes in agriculture towards development of the commitment and attaining of this objective. This is a "we, the people" project!

The summit gives us hope that with such a challenge, the resolve of the people of the Caribbean is being put to the test. Various governments have their role to play in facilitating this commitment.

The heads should ensure leading by example by promoting and monitoring agro-centric activities in their respective countries.

People in the Caribbean must see attaining food security as the challenge thrown out by calypsonian Leroy "Black Stalin" Calliste so many years, when he sang, "To provide a better life in the region/For we women and we children/That must be the true ambition of the Caribbean man."

If, come 2025, we have failed to achieve this objective, let us not seek to lay blame on anyone but ourselves. We expect respective countries to aggressively pursue, and, more importantly, achieve food security.

Our combined efforts will bring us closer together as a people of the region in a meaningful and appreciative exercise.

LENNOX SIRJUESINGH

Port of Spain